Air-gun



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. W. WEAVER.

AIR GUN Patented Feb. 18

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. all.. bril. u! l l (No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2. G. W. WEAVER.

AIR GUN Patented Feb. 18, 1890.

UNITED STATES .ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE IVALTER EAVER, OF ILION, NEW YORK.

AIR-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part ef Letters Patent No. 421,793, dated February18, 1890.

Application filed September 18, 1888. Serial No. 285,713.' (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WALTERl YVEAVER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Ilion, in the county of Herkimer and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Air- Guns, of whichthe following is a specification. My Invention relates to an improvementin air-guns; and it consists in the peculiar construction andcombination of devices that will be more fully set forthhereinafter, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a. vertical longitudinalsectional view of an air-gun embodying` myimprovement, showing the samein the firing position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the operatingparts in positionwhen drawing the plunger rearward inn theair-compressing chamber. Figs. 3, Ll, o, and 6 are detail views. v

A represents the barrel of the piece, and B represents a cylindricalshell or tube, which is slipped over the said barrel and extends beyondthe breech or rear end thereof, so as to form an air-compressing chamberC. Extending longitudinally through the center of the barrel is the boreD, and arranged spirally around the barrel and extending from the muzzlethereof to the breech is a magazinechamber E. By thus forming themagazinechamber spirally around the barrel the capacity of the saidmagazine-chamber is very greatly Increased, in fact to such an extentthat when the magazine-chamber is thus spirally arranged it is adaptedto contain from twovhundred to three hundred or more of the balls orprojectiles for the gun. The rear end of' the spirally-arranged portionof the magazine-chamber communicates with a longitudinal portion F ofthe same, and at the rear end of the said longitudinal portion F is avertical or right-angled portion or bore G, which communicates with thebore D of the barrel, near the breech thereof. An inclined opening Hismade in the breech of the barrel, belovT the bore G, and extends upwardand communicates with the bore at a point below the vertical part G ofthe magazine-chamber. A plug I is screwed orotherwise rigidly secured inthe lower end of the opening II, and to the said plug is attached aforwardly and upwhich is curved, as shown, and is normally projected aslight distance within the bore D of the barrel, and is thereby adaptedto prevent the projectile a in the breech of the said bore from rollingdown the barrel when the muzzle of the gun is depressed.

Communicating with the lower side of the longitudinal portion F of themagazine-chamber, nearthe front end thereof, is a vertical longitudinalrecess L, of suitable length, depth, and width, and in the said recessis located a gravity-detent M.` The saine is provided with a longforwardly-extended weightedarin N, a relatively shortrearwardly-extended arm O, and is fulcrumed on a transverse pin P. Bythis means the short rear arm of the detent is normally elevated abovet-he lower side of thelongitudinal portion of the magazine-chamber, andis thereby adapted to prevent the projectiles which are in the saidlongitudinal portion of the chamber from rolling forward into the spiralportion of the same, and consequently a puinber of balls or projectilesare aty all times stored in the said longitudinal portion of themagazine, ready to be fed through the vertical bore or portion G to thebreech of the bore D.

After each discharge of the gun the person using the saine almostinvariably and voluntarily raises the muzzle, and this elevation of themuzzle causesY the balls or projectiles in wardly extending spring K,the upper end of 'l the spiral magazine thereof to run by theirowngravity downward into the longitudinal portion F, and those balls orprojectiles which pass into that portion of the longitudinal bore orchamber in rear of the detent M are prevented by the said detent fromrunning. forward when the muzzle is depressed, as before stated. Thevextreme front end of the 'spiral l magazine-chamber is longitudinallyarranged and communicates with a longitudinal opening R. The upper sideof the shell B has a longitudinal slot S near its muzzle, Whichcommunicates with the said opening R," and in the latter is arranged ablock T, which is adapted to slide backward and forward there in.l Astud or pin Uprojects from the upper side of the said block and throughthe slot S and has its upper end pointed and constitutes ICQ themuzzle-sight. By grasping the projecting portion of the sight the block'il may be moved rearward in the opening R, so as to uncover. the frontend of the magazine-chamber, and

thereby adapt the latter to be `filled with balls or projectiles, afterwhich the block is moved forward and caused to cover the entrance to themagazine, and thereby balls or projectiles are prevented from beingdropped from the magazine when the muzzle of the gun is depressed.

V represents a plunger or piston, which is snugly fitted in theair-chamber (l and is adapted to reciprocate therein. From the frontside of the said plunger or piston projects a plunger-rod XV, whichenters the bore of the barrel and has an inverted-V-shaped groove X onits lower side extending the eut-ire length of the plunger-rod. From therear side of the plunger or piston projects a rod Y, which extendsthrough acentral opening in the rear end or breech of the chamber C, andsaid rod Y is also provided. on its under side with a groove Z, whichextends nearly to the extreme rear end of the said rod. The rear portionof the plunger or piston is provided with an annular or concentricrecess A', in which is fitted the front end of a coiled extensile spring5. Said spring has its rear end bearing against the rear end of thechamber C, and the function oi' the spring is to forcethe plungerforward in the chamber C, as will be hereinafter described. Abarrel-case C is secured to anddepends from the chamber l, and to thelower rear corner of the said barrel-case is secured a skeleton stock D.

E represents a piston-detent, which is substantially T-shaped, as shown,and has its longitudinal arm pivoted at its front end on a pin F thatextends transversely through the barrel-case. The upper end of the T-head of the detent is beveled on its front side and adapted to projectthrough an opening G in the lower side of the chamber C.

H represents a right-angled trigger, which is fulcruined on a pin l,that passes transversely through the barrel-case, and theforwardly-extending arm of the said trigger engages a recess in the rearside of the piston detent E', and thereby the latter is adapted to bedepressed by pulling the trigger, as will be readily understood. Acoiled or other suitable spring K is attached to the depending arm ofthe trigger and adapted to normally move the same forward so as toelevate the upper end of the piston-detent C.

L represents a draw-bar, which slides in a longitudinal groove in therear portion of the barrel-case just below the chamber C. The front endof the said rod is turned downward to form a short depending arm M', andthe rear end of the said rod is turned upward at right angles to form anarm N', the upper end of which engages a groove C in the lower side ofpiston-rod Y.

O represents a coiled retractile spring, which has its rear end attachedto the front end of the draw-bar, the functionol' the said spring beingto normally draw the bar L forward to the position shown in Fig. l.

In the rear upper corner of the barrel-case is journaled a guidingsheave or pulley P.

l represents a guard-lever, which is of the form here shown, and has itsfront end pivoted in the lower portion of the barrel-case .on thetransverse pin or bolt S.

' represents a chain or flexible link which passes over the pulley P',has its front upper ing the rear end of the groove C, causes the pistonor plunger V to be drawn rearward in the air-compressing chamber and theplunger W to be drawn rearward in t-he bore of the barrel, so as tocause the front end of the said plunger to clear the portion Gr of themagazine, and thereby cause a ball or projectile to drop into the breechof the bore and to become engaged by the spring K. At the same instantthe piston or plunger clears the upper end of the detent E', and thelatter engages the front side of the piston or plunger, and therebylocks the same in the position indicated in Figs. l and 2. It will beunderstood that the rear movementof the pision or plunger isaccomplished against the resistance oi' the spring B', and thatconsequently the latter becomes compressed and the energy expended inmoving the piston or plunger rearward is stored in the said spring.Having thus moved the plunger or piston rearward, the operator raisesthe lower end of the guard-lever R and the spring O draws the rod Lforwardl and tightens the chain or link, so as to maintain theguard-lever in the elevated position shown in Fie'. l. The gun is thenready to be discharged, and this is accomplished by pulling the trigger,which causes the detent E to disengage the piston or plunger, and thespring l5 immediately forces the plunger forward in the chamber C withgreat violence, so as to compress air in the said chamber and force thesame through the groove X of the plunger-rod W into the breach of thebore andcause the said compressed air to discharge the ball orprojectile from the barrel with great initial velocity and considerablepenetrating force. It will be understood that the plunger-rod YV movesforward with the plunger or piston and follows the ball or projectile,and serves to cut off the lower end of the portion G of the magazine, soas to prevent com pressed air from being forced into the magazine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim--m IOO IIO

IIS

1. In a magazine-gun, the eombination,witl1 the barrel having a bore, ofa spiral magazine-chamber encircling the bore and communicating at oneend Wit-h the same, substantially as speeiied.

2. In a gun, a barrel having a straight bore, in combination With aspiral magazine-chamber encircling the bore and arranged Within thebarrel, substantially as described.V

3. In an air-gun, the combination, with the barrel having the bore D, ofthe spirally-arranged magazine chamber communicating with the breech ofthe said bore and encircling the same, substantially as described.

4. In an air-gun, the combination, With a barrel having the bore, of thespirally-arranged magazine-chamber inclosing the bore, the rear portionof said magazine-chamber being longitudinally disposed and provided withthe right-angled extension G, communieating with the bore, substantiallyas described.

5. -In an air-gun, the combination, With the barrel having the straightlongitudinal bore, of the magazine channel or chamber communicating withthe bore and encircling the bore, and the detent M, having an armdisposed normally in one side of the magazine channel or chamber, forthe purpose set forth, substantially as described.

V6. In an air-gun, the barrel having a magazine chamber'or channelcommunicating With the bore and encircling the same, in combination withthe detent M, having the arm O, normally projected in said magazinechannel or chamber in front of the point of communication, for thepurpose set forth, substantially as described.

7. In an air-gun, the combination of the barrel having a longitudinalbore With the spirally-arranged magazine channelor chamber communicatingwith the bore and encircling the same, andy the movable block T, adaptedto cover and uncover the front end of said magazine channel or chamber,substantially as described. g

8. The combination, with the barrel having the bore, of thespirally-arranged magazinechamber encircling the bore, the opening R,formed in the barreland communicating with the magazine at its frontend, and the slot S, communicating with said opening, of the block T,movable longitudinally in the opening, and thereby adapted to cover anduncover the mouth of the magazine, and the stud or pin U, projectingfrom the block and working in the slot S, substantially as specified.

9. In an air-gun, the combination, with the barrel, of the air-chamber Cat the breech thereof, the spring-pressed piston in said chamber havingthe plunger-rod W engaging the bore of the barrel, the plunger beingfurther provided With the rearwardly-extended rod Y, having groove Z,the spring-actuated draw-rod L', having the arm engaging said groove,the detent to engage thel piston, the

trigger connected to said detent, and means, substantially as described,to operate the draw-rod, substantially as described.

lO. The combination, in an air-gun, of the plunger having the rod Y,provided With the groove Z, the spring-actuated longitudinallymovabledraw-rod having the arm engaging said groove, the guard-lever, the chainor link connecting the same to the draw-rod, for the purpose set forth,and the sheaVe o r guide for said chain or link, substantially asdescribed. In testimonythat I claim the foregoing as my own I havehereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE l/VALTER WEAVER. Witnesses:

GEORGE O. RASBACH, JAMES CONKLING.

